Tama Imperialstar Review – Best Cheap Drum Set 2019

Tama Drums was founded by Hoshino Gakki back in 1965 and has since become one of the largest drum manufacturers in the industry. There’s no doubt why players like Mike Portnoy, Stewart Copeland, and Simon Phillips endorse these drums. Today we will be looking at and reviewing the company’s entry-level acoustic drum set: the Tama Imperialstar. Is it the perfect pick for a student’s first drum set? Will it hold up over the years? Is it worth the money? We will find out right now in this Tama Imperialstar review.

I got a wonderful overall feeling when I played the Tama Imperialstar. It sounds amazing for such a cheaply priced drum kit. This drum set is by no means low-end. You could easily make this a touring kit if you had a more expensive one sitting at home. If you’re a first-time player, the Tama Imperialstar is a perfect first drum set. Here’s all the finishes the Tama Imperialstar is available in.

Tama Imperialstar Review – Colors and Finishes

Tama offers the Imperialstar drum set in a variety of different finishes and colors! You have the option of buying an additional floor tom if you desire.

What’s In The Box?

The Tama Imperialstar 5-piece drum kit is the most affordable set to include so many high-end features. Included in the box is everything you need to get playing, minus drumsticks. You get the drum shells, hardware, cymbals from Meinl, and a kick pedal.

Drums

An 18 x 22″ bass drum with mounted 8 x 10″ and 9 x 12″ toms

A 14 x 16″ floor tom

A 5 x 14″ snare drum

Cymbals

Meinl HCS 14″ HiHat cymbals

Meinl HCS 16″ crash cymbal

Meinl HCS 20″ ride cymbal

Additional FREE Meinl HCS 10″ splash cymbal

Hardware

HP200P Iron Cobra bass drum pedal

Boom cymbal stand

Straight cymbal stand

Hihat stand

Snare drum stand

Drum throne

Features of the Tama Imperialstar

Despite what people say, Poplar shells are not bad sounding. Tama Imperialstar comes standard with poplar. It offers a full and warm tone with a medium attack.

A poorly cut bearing edge can make a world of difference when it comes to drum tone. Tama uses extreme precision to ensure a high quality bearing edge.

Tama’s TAMA L-Rod and Omnisphere have received positive appraise over the years. The Imperialstar comes with the same awesome hardware.

The tom brackets are rock solid and will keep your Tama Imperialstar drums in place for all your gigs.

Included with your Imperialstar kit is the Iron Cobra HP200P kick pedal. This pedal was made with the same design principals as the high-end Iron Cobra 900 series pedal. It’s a very smooth-feeling pedal and definitely is a perfect first kick pedal. It features a metal plate on the bottom for added stability when playing.

All of the new Tama Imperialstar drum kits come with a free 10″ splash cymbal from Meinl, as well as a cymbal stand for it.

How Does The Tama Imperialstar Sound?

This is the perfect drum set for a beginner or for an experienced professional. Tama is able to make an affordable drum kit that is both high-quality and durable. When you hear these drums in a room, they really sing.

The poplar shells are not going to be as beautiful sounding as a maple or birch kit, but these shells still resonate and have a great attack. The toms have a very warm sound and, depending on the drum heads you use, will either be brighter or deeper in tone.

The drum that sticks out the most? The snare drum. It’s very bright in nature but still has a nice thud when tuned low. This snare drum will stay in your collection even after you upgrade to another drum kit.

As with any new drum set, the stock heads are usually junk. I suggest you purchase some new drum heads with this kit and, if you’ve never changed drum heads before, watch a YouTube video and follow along changing drum heads on your new Tama Imperialstar drum kit!

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About Drumming Review

Hi! I’m Nick and this is the place where I nerd out about all things drumming.

I’ve been playing the drums for eighteen years. When I was nine years old I was lucky enough to win a drawing out of a hat to become one of two percussionists in the fifth grade.

Since day one of percussion and drums, I’ve been obsessed. I took music and private lessons all through-out high school and studied at the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater for four years, learning drums and percussion.

Since 2014 I’ve been touring professionally. I’ve made many great friends and connections on the road while doing my best to navigate through the crazy world known as the music industry.